The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-09-14
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
ANOTHER ARTICLE on An INTER
ESTiNC; SUBJECT.

ANOTHER ARTICLE on An INTER
EsTiNG SUBJECT.
A Comparison of s!.e Mississippi College
With tte South Carolina Col!eGe--Ihe
Merits of Each Considered.
To the Editor Of the News and Corner;
A separate agricultural college is de-
manded because the agricultural depart
ment Of the South Carolina College Gas
not attracted large number OF studenrs.
Capt. Til:man says two students nave
studied a little agricultural chemistry
Others concede eight or ten. Lei us
consider whether the College has tal'ea
to attract the students 1t should have,
and, II so, whether the fault lies WITH the
plan of organization Of the College, cr1s
to be sought elsewhere.
A recital OF the Congressional Act OF
1862, under which the land scrip was
given, will show The scope OF the Act'
and will determine what classes OF stu
dents are to be considered in receiT1ns
its benefits. It viii be seen that:
First, there is no authority whatever
for the argument that the land scrap
iund should be devoted entirely to the
teaching of agriculture. [ call special
attention to the words of the Act.
Seesion provides that the income OF
the Grip shall be devoted s'to The en-
do9ment of at least one college WAere
the leading object shall be, without ex,
cludinc other scientific ard classical
studies and including military tactics, to
teach such branches OF learning as are
related to agriculture and the mechanic
arts, and in such manner as the Les,Sia-
lures of the States may prescribe, IN
order to promote the liberia! and pr'ctl-
cal education of the industrial classes Ii
the several pursuits and professions OF
LIFE
The college receiving the money mqst
oay attention to mechanical arts equally
nth agriculture, and must tit young
.nen, not for farming alone, as C-pt:
Tilialan and ssOutside Observer" woGld
haze it, but for the several pursuits and
PROFESSIONS of life. Not even classical
studies are excluded, and the education
must be liberal as well as ':practlcai. "
The South Carolina College tulEls the
requirements of sthe Act OF Congress
more fully to-day than the Mississippi
College, for the latter does not provide
s.iberal" education. Il ignores the
mechanical training, which Is Of eQ2al
importance with agriculture, and It Goes
not claim to train boys for the ''sererai
pursuits and professions OF hfc, out
Simply for farming. In the ianguaSa OF
Mr.. Thomas, it puts all the eggs 1tto
one basket.
The College II Columbia has n.oce
scientific than literary professors, more
scientific than literary studies, n:ore
scientific than literary courses, and nso-e
students taking those studies that are
related to agriculture and mechanic arts
than those that are not; for the latter
there are very few studies. It also LOT
merely claims to GSS, but does indeed 1T,
young men ''for the several pursuits and
professions in lie.
But some one las discovered a genuine
mares nest, IN that the establishment OF
an AGRICULTURAL department OF STATE
college is an evasion Of the Act above
quoted, and the trustees OF the So":h
Carolina College have been accused OF
..stealng the farmers money. IE1s
same Act, by the way, shows that the
money does not belong to the farmers
alone. but to the industrial classes y
Now the absolute legality Of the de-
partment plan has been fully established
long ago. The very Hatch bill itself
settles any. doubt by giving the custody
of its Sl5, 200 appropriation to .'the col
lege, or colleges, or agricultural depart
ments OF colleges IN each State or Iefrl-
tory"
After this, no sane and honest man
csn attack the legality or regularity OF
the agricultural department. system.
Such being the law, the South Carolina
College is entitled to claim at least al
those students who take either the ayr
cultural or the mechanical courses--at
least all those students who perform
manual labor in the workshops-anct
even tie most ultra advocate OF manual
labor must accord this.
There were in the College during the
past yesr ten students Ii the regular
agricultural. course and nineteen II the
mechanical and engineering courses, be-
sides number of elective and opslonas
students, making total Of about forty
students in the agricultural and mechan-
icai department.. If those who work N
th laboratory be included, the number
is swei,ed to at least fifty.
These students are here, and may be
SEN c. work BY any doubling Thomas
yhet, the College is in session.
These courses, in spite of the assertions
of those who do not understand them,
are thorough and practical, and turn ont
better and more accomplished graduates
than come from most separate asrlcul-
tural colleges. :,
Why are there n2 more agricultural
students? Simply because the agrlcul,
sural course is technical one, blSlly
specialized, drawn up by President Nc
9ryde after the best European moGeis'
>..ly those take it who wish to become
s:ily scientific farmers. The require
ants for admission are f,lli year h!gn.
: than the standard OF the Mississippi!
College. Other courses, the neccanica!
especially, may suit ordinary farmers
s.ctter than this technical one. Even the
classical course contains many scientific
studies pertaining 70 agriculture and She
mechanic arts.
A very important difference between